Employment Law for the Paralegal (West Legal Studies Series)

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 6
PREFACE......Page 13
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 17
Master-Servant Relationship......Page 18
Principal-Agent Relationship......Page 19
Ratification......Page 20
Who Is an Employer?......Page 21
Overview......Page 22
Legal Tests for Determining IC or Employee Status......Page 23
Common Law Economic Realities Test......Page 24
Common Law Hybrid Test......Page 25
Safe Haven Provision—Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978......Page 26
Benefits of Hiring Independent Contractors......Page 32
Written IC Agreements......Page 33
Intellectual Property Issues with the IC......Page 35
A Recent Court Decision Distinguishing “Independent Contractor”......Page 37
The Emergence of Temporary or Leased Workers/Employees......Page 39
Doctrine of Joint Employment......Page 41
Doctrine of Employment at Will......Page 46
Employment Contracts......Page 47
Public Policy Exception to Employment at Will......Page 49
Wrongful Discharge Exception to Employment at Will......Page 50
Overview......Page 54
Advertising......Page 55
Employment Agencies......Page 56
Employment Applications......Page 57
The Interview Process......Page 58
Preemployment Testing......Page 59
Background Reference Checks and Preemployment Investigations......Page 64
Offer Letters......Page 65
Compensation......Page 66
Duration of Contract......Page 67
Termination......Page 68
Modification......Page 69
Statutory Limitations on Employment Contracts......Page 70
History of Affirmative Action......Page 71
Quotas in Affirmative Action......Page 74
FLSA Definition of the Employer-Employee Relationship......Page 78
Definition of Employee......Page 79
White-Collar Exemptions......Page 80
Total Exemptions (both overtime and minimum wage) under FLSA......Page 82
Compensation for Irregular Hours—Belo Contracts......Page 83
Duties Imposed on Non-Exempt Employers under the FLSA......Page 84
Trainees......Page 85
Calculating Hours Worked and Workweek......Page 86
Record Retention......Page 88
Statute of Limitations in FLSA Claims......Page 89
The Equal Pay Act......Page 90
Federal Child Labor Law......Page 92
Overview......Page 95
Qualified Retirement Plans......Page 96
Managed Care Programs......Page 101
Plans Covered by COBRA......Page 102
Notice Requirements under COBRA......Page 103
Group Health Plan Reform (HIPAA)......Page 104
Summary of HIPAA Provisions......Page 105
Group Term Life Insurance......Page 110
Severance Pay Benefits......Page 111
Overview......Page 114
The Importance of Job Descriptions in Employee Evaluations......Page 115
The Role of Employee Handbooks in Evaluating Employees......Page 116
The Importance of a Probationary Period for Employee Evaluation Purposes......Page 117
1. Oral Warnings......Page 118
4. Meeting with Personnel Manager and Employee......Page 119
Guidelines for Effective Performance Evaluations......Page 121
Disparate Impact......Page 122
Promotions......Page 123
Express Contracts of Employment......Page 126
Implied Contracts of Employment......Page 127
Breach of Employment Contract......Page 129
Past Lost Wages (Back Pay)......Page 130
Duty to Mitigate Damages......Page 131
Elements of Promissory Estoppel Claim......Page 132
Discharge in Violation of Common Law Public Policy......Page 133
Defenses to Public Policy Claims......Page 138
Remedies/Damages Available......Page 140
Proving Constructive Discharge......Page 141
Remedies for Constructive Discharge......Page 144
Early Retirement Offers......Page 145
Defamation Claims in Wrongful Discharge Cases......Page 147
Unemployment Compensation for Terminated Employees......Page 149
Separation Agreements......Page 151
The Model Uniform Employment Termination Act......Page 152
Disparate Treatment......Page 156
Rebutting the Complainant’s Qualifications......Page 162
Surviving a Pretext Allegation by Plaintiff......Page 164
Retaliation......Page 172
Responsibility of On-Site Employers for Discrimination Involving Temporary Employees......Page 174
Plaintiff’s Duty to Mitigate Damages......Page 175
Compensatory Damages......Page 176
Punitive Damages......Page 178
Front Pay......Page 179
Attorneys’ Fees and Costs......Page 180
Liquidated Damages......Page 181
Civil Penalties......Page 182
Remedies and Damages Available for ADA Discrimination......Page 183
Employee......Page 187
Physical or Mental Impairment......Page 188
Discrimination......Page 189
Substantially Limits a Major Life Activity......Page 191
Essential Functions of the Job......Page 194
Regarded as Having Such an Impairment......Page 195
Association with an Individual with a Disability......Page 196
Reasonable Accommodation......Page 197
Overview......Page 200
Disclosure of Mental Disability......Page 201
Dealing with AIDS in the Workplace......Page 202
Determining AIDS Impairment under ADA......Page 203
Otherwise Qualified Status of Employee with AIDS or HIV Infection......Page 204
Adverse Employment Action Related to Disability— Not Because of Disability......Page 205
EEOC Filing Prerequisites and Procedures......Page 206
Disabled Individual Poses a Direct Threat......Page 208
Application for Social Security or Other Disability Benefits......Page 211
Preemployment Inquiries......Page 212
Coordination with FMLA......Page 213
Remedies for ADA Violations......Page 214
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967......Page 217
Individual Supervisor as Employer......Page 220
The Single Employer Test......Page 221
Individual Employees Protected......Page 223
Impact of Use of Term Overqualified with Applicants......Page 224
Mandatory Retirement Age and Exempt Employees......Page 225
Early Retirement Incentives......Page 227
Reduction-in-Force and the Issue of Age Discrimination......Page 228
Targeting Higher-Paid Workers in Downsizing......Page 230
Knowing and Voluntary Requirement for Waivers......Page 232
Elements of a Prima Facie Case—Disparate Treatment......Page 233
Elements of a Prima Facie Case—Reduction in Force......Page 235
Elements of a Prima Facie Case—Hostile Work Environment Claims......Page 237
Legitimate Nondiscriminatory Reason for Employer’s Decision......Page 239
EEOC v. Texas Instruments, Inc.,100 F.3d 1173, 1182 (5th Cir. 1996)......Page 240
Age as a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification......Page 241
Plaintiff’s Ultimate Burden-Proving Pretext......Page 242
Rhodes v. Guiberson Oil, 75 F.3d 989 (5th Cir. 1996)......Page 243
Age-Related Comments......Page 244
Administrative Procedures under the ADEA......Page 245
McKennon v. Nashville Banner Pub. Co.,......Page 246
Overview......Page 250
Race Discrimination under Title VII......Page 251
Color Discrimination......Page 252
Disparate Treatment......Page 253
Establishing a Prima Facie Case of Race Discrimination......Page 254
Proving Pretext......Page 256
United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO v. Weber, 443 U.S. 193......Page 257
Plaintiff’s Prima Facie Case......Page 259
Defeating the Business Necessity Defense......Page 260
Remedies......Page 261
Statutory Requirements Affecting National Origin Discrimination......Page 264
Language Discrimination as National Origin Discrimination......Page 265
Espinoza v. Farah Manufacturing Co., 414 U.S. 86 (1973)......Page 266
Disparate Treatment......Page 268
Dimaranan v. Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, 775 F. Supp. 338 (C.D.Cal. 1991)......Page 269
Disparate Impact of English-Only Rule......Page 270
Garcia v. Spun Steak Co, 998 F.2d 1480 (9th Cir. 1993), later proceeding, 114 S.Ct. 1292, and cert denied, 114 S.Ct. 2726 (1994)......Page 271
Notice of the English-Only Rule......Page 272
Business Necessity Defense of English-Only Rules......Page 273
Prado v. L. Luria & Son, 975 F. Supp. 1349 (S.D. Fla. 1997)......Page 274
English Proficiency Rules......Page 276
Overview......Page 279
Religious Beliefs......Page 280
Selection of Accommodation......Page 281
Types of Accommodations......Page 282
Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hardison, 432 U.S. 63 (1977)......Page 283
Nature of Beliefs......Page 286
Disparate Treatment......Page 287
Hall v. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp., 27 F. Supp. 2d, 1029, 78 FEP 1756 (W.D. Tenn. 1998)......Page 288
Religious Harassment......Page 289
Bona Fide Occupational Qualification......Page 290
Religious Advocacy in the Workplace......Page 291
Overview......Page 295
Definition of Sexual Harassment—EEOC......Page 296
Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment......Page 297
Hostile Work Environment......Page 298
Retaliation......Page 301
Same-Sex Harassment......Page 302
Constructive Discharge......Page 303
Administrative Proceedings......Page 304
Nonemployees......Page 308
New Standard for Employer Liability—Post–Faragher and Ellerth Supreme Court Decisions......Page 309
Investigating the Claim—Investigation by the Employer......Page 312
Responding to EEOC Charge......Page 313
Initiation of Corrective Action—Prompt and Effective Remedial......Page 314
Discovery Conducted by the Defendant Employer......Page 317
Sex Plus Marriage......Page 318
Discrimination on the Basis of Physical Characteristics......Page 319
Glass Ceiling Issues in Discrimination......Page 320
Nonsexual Gender Harassment......Page 321
Hiring Issues Relating to Pregnancy Discrimination......Page 322
Pregnancy Leave and Benefits......Page 323
Positions Held Open for Pregnancy or Maternity Leave......Page 324
Proving Pregnancy Discrimination......Page 325
Fetal Protection Policies......Page 327
Reproduction Discrimination......Page 328
Statistics on EEOC and FEP Pregnancy Discrimination Charges Filed......Page 329
Employers Covered by FMLA......Page 333
Length of Leave......Page 334
Unpaid Leave Versus Paid Leave......Page 335
Intermittent Leave or Reduced Leave Schedule......Page 336
Serious Health Condition......Page 338
Right of Reinstatement to the Same or Equivalent Position......Page 340
General......Page 341
Key Employees Exception......Page 342
Medical Certification......Page 345
Notice to Employee Regarding FMLA Rights......Page 346
Required Notices to Employees Requesting FMLA Leave......Page 350
Example of Interference/Discrimination Found by the Court......Page 354
Example of No Interference/Discrimination Found by the Court......Page 355
Retention Period......Page 356
Complaints Filed with the Secretary of Labor......Page 357
Damages Available for FMLA Violations......Page 358
Privacy Rights under Constitutional Law......Page 361
Privacy Rights under Common Law......Page 362
Personal Surveillance......Page 363
Electronic Mail (e-mail) Surveillance......Page 364
Workplace Searches......Page 365
O’Connor v. Ortega, 480 U.S. 709 (1987)......Page 366
Drug and Alcohol Abuse......Page 367
Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988......Page 369
Types of Employer Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs......Page 370
Preemployment Testing......Page 373
Consequences of Positive Tests and Refusals of Testing......Page 374
Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988......Page 375
Administration of a Polygraph Test......Page 376
Access to Personnel Information......Page 378
Defamation Liability Potential......Page 379
Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act......Page 380
Overview......Page 383
Administration of Immigration Laws......Page 384
Employers’ Duties Regarding Alien Employment......Page 385
North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA)......Page 388
Sanctions......Page 390
Recordkeeping Requirements......Page 391
Antidiscrimination Provisions......Page 392
F and M-Category Visas......Page 393
O-Category Visas......Page 394
Permanent Resident Visas......Page 395
Citizenship Application......Page 396
Immigration Forms and Information......Page 397
Overview......Page 400
Employer Requirements under OSHA......Page 402
Reporting Requirements......Page 403
Penalties for OSHA Violations......Page 407
Abatement Certification......Page 408
Obtaining Information about OSHA......Page 409
Compensable Injury under Workers’ Compensation Laws......Page 411
Preexisting Diseases......Page 412
Benefits......Page 413
Coordination of Benefits......Page 414
Safety Programs......Page 415
Medical Care......Page 416
Appendix A – Employment Handbook Acknowledgment......Page 422
Appendix B – U.S. Department of Labor Regional Offices......Page 423
Appendix C – Record Retention Requirements......Page 425
Appendix D – Notices (Posting) Required (Under Federal Employment Law)......Page 427
Appendix E – Record Retention Requirements Under ADEA......Page 429
Appendix F – Internet Sites Relating To General Legal Topics......Page 430
Appendix G – State Workers’ Compensation Agencies......Page 431
Appendix H – EEOC Document Request Under FOIA......Page 436
Appendix I – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Agreement of Nondisclosure......Page 437
Appendix J – Authorization To Obtain Medical Records......Page 438
Appendix K – State Fair Employment Practice Offices......Page 439
Appendix L – State Laws Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of AIDS or HIV......Page 446
GLOSSARY......Page 447
INDEX......Page 456